Why do we use fuses instead of circuit breakers? Like in cars or furnace circuit boards?
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Fuses are a lot smaller and cheaper and for lower current applications they work just fine
Think about your car fuse box and how many mini fuses they can fit in there. A small resettable breaker is going to be about 10x the size of an automotive mini fuse so you end up needing a lot more space dedicated to the “fuse box”.
Mini circuit breakers are also a lot more expensive. You can get the mini fuses for like $0.01 each, probably less if you’re an automaker buying by the millions. Mini circuit breakers are going to be 10-50x more. An extra $100 in circuit breakers per car for no value add doesn’t make sense for the manufacturers
Because fuses, from an electrical safety standpoint, are better than breakers.
A fuse is either live, or burnt. A circuit breaker can “hang” (ie not quite trip) which is a safety hazard.
The reason for using breakers in houses is that it is far more convenient for a homeowner to just reset them, than to have to remember to keep spare fuses on hand.
Fuses are a lot smaller and cheaper and for lower current applications they work just fine
Think about your car fuse box and how many mini fuses they can fit in there. A small resettable breaker is going to be about 10x the size of an automotive mini fuse so you end up needing a lot more space dedicated to the “fuse box”.
Mini circuit breakers are also a lot more expensive. You can get the mini fuses for like $0.01 each, probably less if you’re an automaker buying by the millions. Mini circuit breakers are going to be 10-50x more. An extra $100 in circuit breakers per car for no value add doesn’t make sense for the manufacturers
Fuses are a lot smaller and cheaper and for lower current applications they work just fine
Think about your car fuse box and how many mini fuses they can fit in there. A small resettable breaker is going to be about 10x the size of an automotive mini fuse so you end up needing a lot more space dedicated to the “fuse box”.
Mini circuit breakers are also a lot more expensive. You can get the mini fuses for like $0.01 each, probably less if you’re an automaker buying by the millions. Mini circuit breakers are going to be 10-50x more. An extra $100 in circuit breakers per car for no value add doesn’t make sense for the manufacturers
Because fuses, from an electrical safety standpoint, are better than breakers.
A fuse is either live, or burnt. A circuit breaker can “hang” (ie not quite trip) which is a safety hazard.
The reason for using breakers in houses is that it is far more convenient for a homeowner to just reset them, than to have to remember to keep spare fuses on hand.
Because fuses, from an electrical safety standpoint, are better than breakers.
A fuse is either live, or burnt. A circuit breaker can “hang” (ie not quite trip) which is a safety hazard.
The reason for using breakers in houses is that it is far more convenient for a homeowner to just reset them, than to have to remember to keep spare fuses on hand.
I’m going to assume OP is American.
Do you still use fuses over there? RCD for the win in Europe.
I’m going to assume OP is American.
Do you still use fuses over there? RCD for the win in Europe.
I’m going to assume OP is American.
Do you still use fuses over there? RCD for the win in Europe.
In cars I suspect it’s simply a cost issue, fuses are cheap compared to the cost of a breaker and they don’t blow very often. I fly small airplanes (Cessnas and Pipers) and most of them (in fact everyone I’ve flown) use circuit breakers right on the instrument panel. Obviously if a critical circuit overloads you can’t just pullover and find / change a fuse.
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